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GJIROKASTRA REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY 2005
Reliance on Pensions
While an examination of the number of people who
rely on pensions in the region fails to pinpoint the
exact cause of poverty, it does illustrate the extent to
which people depend on assistance to sustain their
lives. As a result, the number of people in a specified
area who receive a pension, along with the
amount that they receive, represents a broad indicator
of poverty. Within the region, a considerable
portion of those who are impoverished are composed
of the elderly, the disabled, and widows or
widowers. Of this portion of the population, many
rely on their pension as their primary, and sometimes
singular, source of income.
In the Gjirokastra region, a total of 26,480 people,
or 23.9% of the population, depend on their
pension. In urban areas, 16,198 inhabitants rely on
their pensions to improve their lives, which is
approximately 14.6% of the total population. The
14 Statistical Register of Districts, Regional Council, 2003.
PAGE 20
great majority of these urban residents receive a
retirement pension (12,121), followed by those
receiving a survivor’s pension (2,946), and those
receiving a disability pension (1,095). The average
monthly urban retirement pension is worth 7,055 lek,
a survivor’s pension is worth 3,551 lek per month,
and a disability pension is worth 5,846 lek per
month. Among the 10,282 individuals who live
rurally and receive a pension (9.3% of the region’s
population), 9,012 receive a retirement pension, 995
receive a survivor’s pension, and 77 receive a disability
pension. The average monthly rural retirement
pension is worth 1,940 lek, a survivor’s pension is
worth 871 lek per month, and a disability pension is
worth 1,954 lek per month. 14 These data reveal, in
concurrence with the region’s low HDI, that many
residents who are dependant on their pension for
subsistence in the Gjirokastra region live in circumstances
plagued by poverty.